Vale: Keith Meggs

[cogwheel]

Sad news indeed…. RIP

KEITH RAYMOND MEGGS OAM, DFM, AAM(US)
https://oldfsb.raafansw.org.au/images/wings.jpg
07 Jan 1928 - 13 Mar 2022
Age 94 years

It is with great sadness that we advise of the passing of Keith Raymond Meggs OAM, DFM, AAM(US), former AHSA President and Patron, on Sunday, 13 March. He was aged 94. He had been in a retirement home for some time.

Keith entered the Australian aviation industry in 1943, commencing with Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation as a teenager while the company was producing Boomerangs and Wirraways. He commenced his flying, in gliders, at the end of 1945.

On 5-Feb 1948 he joined 1FTS at Point Cook for flying training on No 2 Pilots Course (https://www.radschool.org.au/Course%20Photos/Pilots/02Pilots.htm)
In 1950 he served with No 3 Squadron (TAC/R) in Canberra, and then with Nos 75 and 76 Squadrons at Williamtown until the end of 1950.

Keith was posted to Korea on 14 Dec 1950 where he flew Mustangs and Meteors with No 77 Sqn in the Korean war, earning a DFM and AAM (US). He completed his Korean tour on 7 Feb 1952.

Short postings over the next six months included Laverton, No 78 Wing HQ and No 2 OTU.

Then in 1952-53 he saw service in the Mediterranean - Malta with No 75 Squadron flying Vampires. Later he flew Vampires with No 75 Sqn in Australia until he was discharged July 1956.

He re-joined CAC in 1957 working for several years on Sabre fighters and the Ceres agricultural aircraft. He then worked at the Department of Civil Aviation as an Air Traffic Controller before taking up freelance charter flying. His log books have a total of some 19,500 hours on 109 types of aircraft.

Keith was a foundation member of the Aviation Historical Society of Australia in 1959, served as AHSA President from 1988 to 2013, and was later a Patron of the Society. Over the past 50 years Keith compiled, in four volumes, a comprehensive history of 100 years of Australian aircraft building activity, published as Australian-Built Aircraft and the Industry.

Keith has left an indelible mark on Australian aviation history since it is no longer possible to gather the amount of detailed information that he compiled over such a long time.

He leaves behind a former wife, a daughter and three sons.
VALE KEITH RAYMOND MEGGS
Good and True Australian

[By George]

Keith was one of a kind. I have never met anybody before or since who was so passionate about all things aviation. I first met him in 1971 and we became very good friends. He put me up with a bed in his lounge room when my first marriage failed. The room was wall to wall, floor to ceiling with aviation books. Coupled with a few beers this proved great therapy. Over the years he stayed with me in Queensland and even came to Singapore when I was working up there.
He hated DCA/DOT/CASA with equal passion. They took him to court once and one of the charges was 'Flying over unsuitable terrain in a single-engine aeroplane'. His reply, which included 'flying over unsuitable people with large guns in Korea' was one of the funniest things I have ever read.
We worked together with Australian Air Charters of Moorabbin in the mid seventies, he being a regular casual on the newspaper run to Canberra. One night, when coming home empty, he suddenly appeared out of nowhere on my left wingtip. He then asked ATC for a clearance 'in company' through the Melbourne control zone. This was 3am in the morning. "Knock it off you two" was the only reply and the fact they knew Keith resulted in no further action being taken.
A great pilot, a loyal friend, it was hard to watch him go down hill with dementia.
His book 'Australian-built Aircraft and the Industry' is a masterpiece and the result of fifty years of research.
Good bye Keith, it was a privilege to have worked with you and to call you a friend. One of the saddest things, the real characters of aviation are quickly disappearing. The Angels up there won't know what hit them.

[buzzz.lightyear]

Privileged to have known Keith from the AAC and FIA days.. absolute legend.. truly..
I believe the following anecdote is attributed to him..
During the night when approaching CTA, instead of the usual “ Melbourne Control, Romeo Tango Oscar…”
The words heard were “Knock knock..”..
ATC being short of amusement in the wee small hours responded with “Who’s there?”
The reply was “Arty”… followed by “Arty who?”
The answer came back “Arty Oh”…
The aircraft being an AAC PA31 VH-RTO…. True story…
RIP Keith.. Fair skies and Tailwinds…

[lucille]

RIP. Meggsy. Truly a fighter pilot’s fighter pilot. Unflappable and unstoppable. A legend.

Taught me that flying was meant to fun when I was a junior boy at AAC and Phoenix. There are no shortage of anecdotes which to this day bring a smile to my face.

[Petropavlovsk]

For many years Keith has a "thing" about the absurd 80 DME IFR reporting points that surrounded the Melbourne CTA zone.

Much complaining eventually led to the removal of the 80 DME waypoints.

[By George]

One of his pet hates was, 'too much chatter' on the radio and he fought for the removal of the eighty-mile call for years. He could see no point or reason and had the experience of being former ATC. If I remember correctly, the eighty mile call originated from the Vickers Viscount days. Eighty miles being their descent point. He won that one. "Bunch of twits" was a standard reply to any CASA discussion!

[Stationair8]

One of my early instructors, had served in the RAAF with Keith Meggs and Cec Sly.

He told some great stories about Keith, including instructing by day and doing the paper runs/charter work that came in.

When my instructor moved to the big aero club in the sky, he had left instructions to his family that the books written by Keith were to be passed onto me.

RIP Keith, another character lost in Australian Aviation.

[emeritus]

RIP Keith. Saw a lot of Keith in the late 50's/early 60's
Much respected as a person and an aviator.

Emeritus

[prickly]

Keith was the most no nonsense aviation guy I ever had the pleasure to meet. He hated those in authority who perpetuated the BS and made our industry more difficult than it needed to be. Did numerous CB newspaper runs in company with Keith, he was like a thief in the night, gone in 60 seconds, no time for idle chatter.
I read the account of him, alone in a Mustang, staying over a downed US airman in Korea and strafing North Korean troops trying to get to the survivor until he was rescued by friendly forces. He never spoke of these things.
RIP Keith